England: Delaney Lehman (Dérive)

Dérive: A walk into to Uncharted Burroughs

For my drift in London, I decided to go on the tube and ride to a station 15 minutes from where I live in South Kensington. I got off the tube at the Embankment station. The station is on the north side of the River Thames. When I walked out of the tube station, I went straight towards the river and noticed a walking bridge over the river named the Golden Jubilee Bridge.  I climbed the stairs up and walked on the bridge with about 50 other people walking on the bridge. The time of day was about 12:30 pm, so there appeared to be many people on their lunch break. There were also a few graduates on the bridge taking pictures. They seemed to be blissfully happy. Once I reached the other side of the river, I stumbled upon an area in London known as South Bank. It was a boardwalk with many restaurants, food stalls, and a good view of the river and London’s cityscape. As I was walking, I noticed this vast skate park painted with graffiti, and you could see people skating; it was cool to see and experience because in London, specifically the royal burrow of Kensington and Chelsea, you don’t see something like that every day. As I continued walking, some small stalls sold used books and artwork. The boardwalk along the river continued to stretch, so I continued to walk but started to feel hungry.

In South Bank, I saw some food stalls ranging from Thai food to churros to standard British food. I found this Greek stall and got a Souvlaki Wrap, a pita wrap with halloumi cheese, vegetables, tzatziki sauce, and fries. It was delicious, one of the most delicious foods I have eaten. I found a bench to sit on, overlooked the water, and noticed two sides of London. I could see the financial district with the most recent skyscrapers, but simultaneously, to the left of the sea of skyscrapers, I saw Saint Paul’s Cathedral among other historic buildings; everything to the left of the skyscrapers were relatively old pieces of architecture. I was taken aback at how diverse this city is with its architecture, but the same can be said about its people. Sitting on the bench it made me take time to reflect on my first month living in London. Something about London that I have learned is how different each borrow is. Sitting in South Bank is an entirely different atmosphere than Kensington, SOHO Area, Camden, etc. Every time I get off at a new station, it’s like entering a new dimension of London. There’s not much uniformity within the borrows, which makes London special. I quickly learned how big London is and how diverse it is in architecture, food, and people. Just walking down the street, you are most likely to hear a language other than English.  I’ve only lived in London for a month, and this city has never failed to surprise me.

Delaney Lehman

Major: International Studies with a Language

Hometown: Neenah, Wisconsin

Throughout this program, I plan to expand my perspective on life in a city such as London, as well as my cultural awareness of living abroad. Living in America, I’ve been sheltered and accustomed to how American society works. Living in England I hope to explore and learn from observing and experiencing a new way of life firsthand.

What do you most look forward to learning about in London? 

I look forward to exploring London’s historic sites, markets, and museums. I also am anticipating learning about London as a city and its history.